Steve,
I have to agree with what you're saying though, there should be, as part of an apprentices training, a course that shows what arc flash will do and to see that first hand and of course how to avoid this happening in the first place.
I remember doing a similar thing with Eaton Controls? with HV protection, years ago and I've never forgotten what they taught us, I mean it took two days, but over my career, it was time well spent.
It's almost like when we burn a derelict house down over here, one room at a time and get the new kids in there and teach them about flash-over and fire science/behaviour, it's in a training environment, so they aren't put at any real risk of injury.
